A form of MainCharacter + LoveInterest couple, where both characters are the MainCharacter in a certain sense.

The boy is a generic AudienceSurrogate, TheEveryman, maybe an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent, and he is the PointOfView character, treated as TheHero by the plot itself, and therefore, as the MainCharacter.

The girl is a more exotic character and the center of all advertising material. Maybe she's a MagicalGirlfriend, CuteMonsterGirl, or from another world entirely, but either way, she's definitely not as ordinary as the boy. Her name is probably in the title, and her presence starts the plot and keeps moving it. Through this, she's the face of the entire work and provides a reason for people to watch the show.

Compare to FirstPersonPeripheralNarrator, where the first person narrator is not the protagonist, and to ManicPixieDreamGirl, where the "Poster Girl"'s in-universe role is to shake up the male protagonist's life.

A result of MenAreGenericWomenAreSpecial.

See also NonPOVProtagonist.

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[[folder: Anime & Manga ]]

* Generally, in many SupportingHarem series, the male protagonist is the POV character, but the main heroine is often the instigator of the plot.* ''LightNovel/AccelWorld''. Haruyuki does move the plot by himself, but Kuroyukihime is the one who granted him the program and got him into the plot. She's also his mentor and girlfriend.* ''Manga/AkameGaKill'': Tatsumi is our naive but developing protagonist who gradually becomes stronger. However, it is the eponymous Akame and Night Raid that draws him into the plot and intrigue of the Empire.* ''LightNovel/AriaTheScarletAmmo'' * ''Manga/BlackLagoon'': Rock and Revy; Rock is an [[ActionSurvivor "average"]] protagonist, but Revy is the main fighter, and primary muscle of the Lagoon Company.* Pictured above, ''LightNovel/GroundControlToPsychoelectricGirl''. That guy in the background, see him? That's Makoto, the protagonist and narrator. But the {{Cloudcuckoolander}} leanings from his cousin Erio tend to be [[MenAreGenericWomenAreSpecial quite a bit more memorable]].* ''Anime/EurekaSeven''* GenderInverted in ''Anime/FairyTail''. Lucy is the viewpoint character but Natsu is TheHero.* ''LightNovel/TheFamiliarOfZero'': A case of SummonEverymanHero, done by the eponymous mage.* ''Manga/FutureDiary'': Yukiteru is the (male) P.O.V. character and kind of a wimp. The {{Yandere}} gestures of (female) Yuno have since long ago achieved memetic status. [[spoiler:And when Yukiteru TakesALevelInBadass is when [[DespairEventHorizon the shit has officially reached the fan.]]]]* ''Manga/MonthlyGirlsNozakiKun'' is another GenderInverted version; Nozaki is the titular character and poster boy, but Sakura is the point-of-view girl.* ''LightNovel/HaiyoreNyarkoSan'': At the start of the show, the P.O.V. character Mahiro's most distinguishing trait is a fondness for the works of Creator/HPLovecraft; the plot is very much driven by Nyarko, who's [[CosmicHorror Nyarlathotep]] in the form of an [[{{Otaku}} anime-loving]] GenkiGirl.* In ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'', Kyon is the POV protagonist, but Haruhi is the leader of the plot.** Kyon is a bit of an anomaly here since Haruhi doesn't know what the plot actually is. She leads the SOS Brigade but never knows the actual stakes of a situation, or alternatively is causing the trouble due to her [[WrongGenreSavvy trying to decide what the plot should be on her own]]. Especially in the later novels, this results in Kyon taking action himself without Haruhi around to keep her in the dark about [[RealityWarper her possibly-world-destroying-powers]].* GenderInverted in ''Manga/{{Inuyasha}}'', with Kagome as the POV protagonist and the eponymous Inuyasha as the Poster Boy.* ''LightNovel/IsThisAZombie'' has an odd example. Ayumu is the classic OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent turned into a zombie POV protagonist, while Haruna serves as the Poster Girl. However, the series actually focuses more on Eucliwood than Haruna.* ''Manga/MaidSama'': Gender inverted, as Misaki is the protagonist while [[TheAce Usui]] tends to be the more memorable character (although that isn't to say Misaki isn't entertaining herself).* ''Manga/MedakaBox'': Zenkichi is usually the POV protagonist, but Medaka is the instigator of the plot.* ''Manga/MyLoveStory'' may count as a double-inversion. It looks like a gender-inversion with the plain Rinko as the viewpoint to the [[GentleGiant comically gigantic]] Takeo... but, nope, Takeo is the protagonist. This is probably intentional, since it also subverts the standard tactic of WillTheyOrWontThey dragged out for most of the series--Takeo and Rinko become a couple within the first few episodes.* ''Manga/MyMonsterSecret'': Male lead Asahi is completely ordinary, other than the fact that he's a [[CannotTellALie terrible liar]], while his love interest Youko is a FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire (and TheIdiotFromOsaka). The main driving force of the plot is protecting Youko's secret, since she promised her father that she'd leave school if she was found out, which results in Asahi doing everything he can to keep Youko from leaving so he can work up the nerve to finally [[LoveConfession confess]] to her. Despite being the male lead, Asahi doesn't appear in any of the volume covers (nor do the other male characters, even after they start being developped).* ''LightNovel/MyTeenRomanticComedySNAFU'': Hachiman is our cynical loner protagonist, but it's not until he meets Yukino and the Service Club that the plot starts moving.* Most ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' merchandise is of [[FieryRedHead Asuka]] and [[MysteriousWaif Rei]], with a decent chunk also featuring [[ChristmasCake Misato]] and [[{{Bishonen}} Kaworu]]. Meanwhile, lead character Shinji frequently gets pushed aside to the point where he didn't receive an action figure for the ''Rebuild'' movie series that began in 2007 until ''2012'', long after Asuka, Rei, Kaworu and new character Mari had already received boatloads of new merchandise.* In ''LightNovel/NoGameNoLife'', we have the gamer siblings Sora and Shiro, the former whose P.O.V. is shown the most and the latter who is the poster girl, especially in merchandise. However both are equally important InUniverse and out.* ''LightNovel/AndYouThoughtThereIsNeverAGirlOnline'': Hideki Nishimura aka "Rusian" is an otherwise normal high school student who happens to be a gamer. However, most of the series is focused on his in-game wife Ako Tamaki and her inability to distinguish the game world from reality. * ''LightNovel/NogizakaHarukaNoHimitsu''* ''LightNovel/{{Oreimo}}'': Kyosuke is the POV Boy and his younger sister Kirino is the Poster Girl.* ''Manga/RosarioToVampire'': Moka is the primary driving force behind much of the plot (not to mention TheAce in just about any desperate situation), but Tsukune is the primary viewpoint protagonist. * ''Anime/SamuraiChamploo'': Despite Fuu being the main character, and driving force of the series, Mugen (and to a lesser extent, Jin) is probably the face of the series. * ''LightNovel/ShakuganNoShana'' technically even has scenes from Shana's POV, but Yuji is still a typical OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent, while she is a mysterious monster fighter. [[spoiler:But only up until season 3, when everything changes.]] * ''LightNovel/{{Shimoneta}}'': Tanukichi is our mild-mannered, generally normal protagonist who gets drawn in by the antics of Ayame Kajo or "Blue Snow''.* GenderInverted in ''Manga/SoulEater''; Maka's the POV Girl and Soul's the Poster Boy.* ''LightNovel/SpiceAndWolf'': Lawrence's viewpoint, Holo on the posters* ''Anime/SummerWars''. The girl standing alone in the foreground of the cover is the LoveInterest. The guy in the green-striped shirt, behind her left arm, and barely noticeable against the [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters crowd of extras]], is the protagonist.* ''LightNovel/{{Toradora}}'' is a somewhat understated and possibly unintended example; Ryuuji, the protagonist, isn't treated as generic or secondary, but Taiga is far more recognizable. As for its SpiritualSuccessor, ''LightNovel/GoldenTime'', well... [[http://img1.ak.crunchyroll.com/i/spire4/fc8938a7d556f9068bb8ed327c6c56351380569594_full.jpg just look at the promo image.]] The guy groveling on the ground in the bottom right is the main character.* GenderInverted in ''Manga/YugamiKunNiWaTomodachiGaInai.'' [[LonersAreFreaks Yugami]] is the titular character and poster boy while [[IJustWantToHaveFriends Chihiro]] is the viewpoint character.* ''Manga/UruseiYatsura'': Ataru is the POV Boy and Lum is the Poster Girl.* ''Manga/YumekuiMerry'': Yumeji is the main protagonist and a decent fighter in his own right, but without Merry, there would be no plot.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Film ]]

* ''Film/FiveHundredDaysOfSummer'': Main character [[Creator/JosephGordonLevitt Tom]] is the one we sympathize with as he falls head over heals for the ManicPixieDreamGirl title character, [[Creator/ZooeyDeschanel Summer]].* The Franchise/JamesBond movie ''Film/{{Octopussy}}'', named after the leading BondGirl. Bond may be the main hero, but she's the one central to the plot.* A later Bond example is ''Film/TheWorldIsNotEnough''; Bond is the main character, but the story is really about the [[spoiler: EvilAllAlong]] Bond Girl, Elektra King.* The titular character in ''Film/{{Malena}}'' is shown entirely through the eyes of a young boy.* ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast'' is a gender-inversion--Beast is the iconic character, and Belle, a relatively ordinary woman, is the viewpoint.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

* ''Literature/AnnaDressedInBlood'' has Cas as POV boy and Anna as poster girl. Subverted since Cas is far from being normal too.* Pudge (P.O.V. boy) and Alaska (cover girl) from ''Literature/LookingForAlaska'' by Creator/JohnGreen.** Also Quentin and Margo from ''Literature/PaperTowns'' by the same author.* GenderInverted in ''Literature/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'' with Christine as the protagonist and Erik as the titular and iconic character, even though he DidNotGetTheGirl. Also true for the the various adaptions, with the exception of the Susan Kay novel. * Happens in ''Literature/{{Stargirl}}'' by Jerry Spinelli. Leo is the protagonist, but it's the ManicPixieDreamGirl Stargirl who sets the plot going. In the sequel, ''Love, Stargirl'', this is inverted.* GenderInverted, but otherwise played straight by ''{{Literature/Twilight}}''. Bella is the generic POV character. Edward and Jacob are both exotic love interests and the focus of all advertising.* ''TheVirginSuicides'' takes this to the next level, with five Poster Girls and a group of POV boys whose exact number is never indicated, though we do get several names.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

* GenderInverted by ''Series/AustinAndAlly''. Ally is the shy, nerdy everywoman who writes songs for musical star Austin. Austin's rise to stardom drives the overarching plot of the show (Ally has StageFright which makes her unsuitable for the 'rise to fame' plot) and shakes up the somewhat staid and solitary life of Ally.* GenderInverted with the early seasons of the revival of ''Series/DoctorWho'': the first two seasons in particular focused heavily on Rose as the protagonist, a human window into the Doctor's alien mindset and life. This had been the usual setup of the show basically since its beginning; the main change was the idea that the main companion would be always female, and would have hints of a romantic attachment to the Doctor. (The exception to this so far is Donna.)* ''Series/{{Bewitched}}'', which is about the relationship between the titular beautiful, powerful-but-submissive witch and some StraightMan so generic as to be actually interchangeable. Admit it, if it weren't for the trope TheOtherDarrin you wouldn't even know his name, would you?* ''Series/IDreamOfJeannie'' has the plot of every episode center around the hijinx of the titular genie Jeannie and how her husband and master, good old Major Whatshisface, reacts to them.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

* Tidus and Yuna from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX''. The game is told as a first person narrative from Tidus' point of view, and while Yuna's journey is central to the main plot, Tidus' actions and circumstances are what drive it - specifically, in that they cause the perspective shift that [[spoiler:ends up ultimately bringing about the end of Sin's never-ending death/rebirth cycle of despair.]]* Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance in ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' and its episodes. Though Gordon is the player character, the two get equal billing on promotional material, including boxart, and it's Alyx's introduction that really kicks off the plot in ''VideoGame/HalfLife2''. It's implied that Alyx was the Resistance's top operative until Gordon shows up. * Non-romantic example: Light and Pastel in the ''VideoGame/{{Twinbee}}'' series.* ''VideoGame/UnlimitedSaga'' offers another non-romantic example with Laura and Henri. While ex-{{Pirate}} Laura is prominently featured in most of the game's official art and on the selection screen as a MainCharacter, her scenario centers around [[SupportingProtagonist Prince Henri]] and how she becomes his bodyguard, protecting him from assassins as they roam the land searching for answers. Henri provides the story's [[PointOfView narration]], frequently mentioning how awed and amazed he is by his enigmatic protector.* Ragna the Bloodedge and Noel Vermilion from ''VideoGame/{{Blazblue}}''. Noel is the one who gets most of the promotional material and merchandise, and is indeed at the center of the plot in the [[VideoGame/BlazblueContinuumShift second game]] of the series. Nonetheless, the story is told from Ragna's perspective and WordOfGod has confirmed that its ''his'' story the series follows.----